Arabic Tarek Elgammal

Lacoste Tennis

Legends Rock Dubai

MENA Sp Olympics

Motorworks

Salman Khan

Salman Khan Arabic

Tarek Elgammal

DUBAI — The Royal Sands Tourism announced a new excursion package at a Press conference at the Emirates Towers Hotel yesterday. The Royal Helicopter Safari will involve a mixture of air and land travel, and will be in association with Aerogulf Services.

Jyoti Merh, Manager, Corporate Sales of Royal Sands Tourism, also revealed that the safari will be linked with the Dubai Centre for Special Needs. “We want to make a commitment to the centre,” she said. “One dirham from every Royal Safari will go to the centre,” she added.

The Royal Helicopter Safari greets guests with a red carpet welcome, before whisking them away in a helicopter ride over the city of Dubai. The helicopter arrives at a meeting point in the desert where a four-wheel Land Cruiser awaits. After a tour of the desert, guests are taken to a bedouin camp where a barbecue buffet dinner is laid out. Arab entertainment, including camel rides, falcon shows, belly dancing, and Arab dresses for taking photographs taking will also be available. The safari is also accessible to the disabled. The Dubai Centre for Special Needs has advised Royal Sands Tourism on the areas where access for the disabled can be improved. Suraj Shahaney, Managing Director of Royal Sands Tourism, said: “All the drivers of our vehicles are put on an orientation course for special needs.”

Kristiina Mayra, Administrator, Dubai Centre for Special Needs, is delighted that Royal Sands Tourism is making the financial commitment to the centre.

DUBAI — The Dubai Centre for Special Needs organised an open day from 9.30am to 12 noon at its premises yesterday when a number of paintings, artwork and handicraft made by the students of the centre were put up for sale.

Visitors to the centre were taken on a familiarisation trip around the premises and given comprehensive information about the main services and facilities offered to the 134 students aged between three and 25 years.

Dr Mashid Salehi, Child and Family Psychologist and the Director of the Centre, said the main idea behind organising the open day was to give people an opportunity to go around the classrooms and acquaint themselves with the major programmes launched by the centre to enhance and develop skills and abilities of special needs students. The open day proved that special needs people were given the same attention and care as normal people and that their capabilities and potentials should never be under-estimated.

DUBAI — The Dubai Centre for Special Needs’ (DCSN) ‘Tell Someone!’ campaign launched in September is witnessing a tremendous response from people who have willingly stepped forward to donate huge amounts of money to help the physically challenged children.

Jenny Young, Media and Marketing Liaison Officer of the DCSN, told Khaleej Times that the main aim of launching the campaign is to collect funds that could help lend a supporting hand to physically challenged children and offer them the best education, therapy and pre-vocational guidance.

“To date, there are more than 130 physically challenged children currently enrolled at the centre. The objective of the campaign is to collect funds. The public can donate Dh20 per month, which is considered a nominal amount. This amount will go a long way in bringing a smile on the faces of the physically challenged children and help alleviate their suffering.”

She said: “The campaign is a simple gesture of charity that allows individuals from all walks of life to subscribe and to know that their contributions are certainly adding to the big picture and reaching the special needs children.”

Young explained: “As a special needs centre, we always come across people who show great interest and enthusiasm to donate money that will support the special needs children. By joining hands in donating a nominal sum over a period of 12 month, Dubai residents will be contributing to an extremely valuable noble cause and will be reducing pressure on the commercial sector that regularly donates funds.”

Young added: “We have printed more than 10,000 cards and many cards have been distributed and the funds have started to roll in with pleasing results since the campaign commenced. We have received a number of donations from people willing to donate Dh20 per month or 240 per annum for the noble cause. People should decide whether they are willing to donate in cash or through the bank account. “

She added that a life-size icon of the logo of the campaign is placed at the centre’s premises and will be filled up with the donors’ cards. “The life-size figure is a means to monitor the overwhelming response of the public and lets us know how many cards are distributed. Through the campaign we hope more funds will be brought to the centre for the financial planning of the centre.”

Young said: “The campaign cards can be bought from the reception desk at the DCSN or at the centre’s charity stall that will be available at the Mother Baby and Child Exhibition scheduled to take place from December 9 to December 11 at the World Trade Centre.
DCSN was established in 1982 (formerly Aseef School) and is a non-profit charity organisation committed to offering quality education, therapy and training to children with special needs.

This was announced during a Press conference held at the premises of the centre. The conference was attended by Dr Abdullah Al Khayat, DCSN Chairman and Clive Reed, Vice-President of Emirates Aviation College who donated a sum equivalent to Dh5, 000.

In her inaugural speech, Dr Mahshid Salehi, Director of the Centre, said that the main reason of the campaign was to collect funds that would contribute to lending a hand to the physically-challenged children and offer them the best education, therapy and pre-vocational guidance.

According to Dr Salehi, there are more than 130 physically-challenged children currently enrolled at the centre. The objective of the campaign is to collect funds through the goodwill of the public who can donate Dh20 per month which is considered a nominal fee that will bring happiness to the faces of the physically-challenged children and will alleviate their sufferings.

“By joining hands in donating a nominal sum over a period of 12 month, Dubai residence will be contributing to an extremely valuable noble cause and will be reducing pressure on the commercial sector that regularly donates funds,” he said.

Mrs Jenny Young, Media and Marketing Relations Manager at the centre told Khaleej Times, “We have printed more than 10,000 cards that will be distributed among people willing to donate Dh20 per month or Dh240 per annum for the noble cause. People should decide whether they are willing to donate through cash payment or through bank account.”

She said a life-size icon of the logo of the campaign will be placed at the centre's premises and will be filled up with the donors’ cards.

“The life-size figure will monitor the response of the public and will let us know how many cards are distributed. Through the campaign, we hope that more funds will be brought to the centre to be allocated for the financial planning of the centre.” Mrs Young added.

Rashid Saeed, a UAE national was among the attendants of the conference was who will join university next year. Saeed was enrolled at the centre 11 years ago and succeeded in proving that disability is not the end of life. Saeed worked hard and proved that his potentials are no lesser than the potentials of normal individuals.

The DCSN (formerly Aseef School) was established in 1982 and is a non-profit charity organistation committed to offering quality education, therapy and training to children with special needs.

DUBAI - Zayed University's College of Family Sciences has formed the Scientific Committee of the Dubai International Rehabilitation Forum 'Rehab 2004' to be held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry at the Dubai World Trade Centre from Sunday.

Dr Hanif Hassan, Vice President of Zayed University, said: "The University will be represented in the three-day conference by members of the College of Family and the Centre for Family and Community Research & Development."

He said that this is in line with the university's policy of cooperation with social authorities and other establishments in different fields. "This embodies the university's cultural and scientific role in the society," he said.

Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and President of Zayed University, urged the university to serve the needs of the society and enhance development and progress in the social sector.

The University had earlier signed an agreement with the Health Department and Medical Services and Dubai Handicapped Club to form scientific committee, arrange workshops associated with the Scientific Congress, maintain a database associated with the contributors and their papers, and liaise with the speakers and develop the necessary documentation required to support the Scientific Congress.

The Scientific Congress will have papers, presentations, and workshops that address the creation of a knowledge base that will contribute towards effective policies and practices.
"Such an event means hearing directly from people with disabilities and their families, learning from people and organisations that provide services to people with disabilities, understanding the contributions of science and research, and encouraging the involvement of policy makers," Dr Hanif said.

Dr Errol Cocks, Professor in the College of Family Sciences and Chair of the Scientific Committee, said that the committee consists of seven people Dr Dan Crocco, Dr Sandra Willis, Dr Alan Russell (Professors in the College), Mariam Al Balooshi, Zayed University graduate, Dr Steve Lydiatt (College of Education), and Dr Mahshid Salehi, Director of Dubai Handicapped Centre.

The Congress will consist of three workshops, five keynote presentations, a panel discussion, 27 papers and one symposium.

The workshop will focus on: 'Recruiting, placing, and supporting people with disabilities in mainstream employment', 'Training in the System of Classification of Disability', and 'Meaning Community Participation for People with Autism Spectrum Disorders'.

Speakers at the workshops have enormous experience in their respective fields. These include: Sue Robertson-Managing Director of Edge Employment Solutions in Perth, Australia, and Dr Gregory Lewis-Executive Director, in the same company, and Dr Gary Mesibov, Director of Teach Division-University of North Carolina, USA.

The Congress will have speakers from many countries including Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait, KSA, USA, France, India, Australia, South Africa, UK, Germany, and Finland in addition to the UN and the OECD.

Zayed University is also organising the students’ capstone projects on disability issues. The university's College of Family Sciences is also organising a photography competition for the students in this occasion.

DUBAI - Mattar Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, and Saeed Mohammed Al Raghbani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, attended on Monday the annual concert organised by the Dubai Centre for Special Needs on its premises on the occasion of the inauguration of its multipurpose hall.

The concert was attended by 118 special needs children. It featured a welcome song and a concert performed by the centre's choir.

Dr Mahshid Salehi, director of the centre, said: "This evening we are celebrating more than just the inauguration of our hall. We celebrate 20 years of commitment, hard work and dedication."

She said that when she joined the centre it had only 25 students. The current number, however, is 120.

"From our humble beginning in Asseef School, we now have a purpose-built facility. Our vision has always been to improve the quality of life for people with special needs of all ages and for their families, by promoting independence and social inclusion, providing high quality and effective programmes, inter-disciplinary training and technical assistance to individuals and their families," Dr Salehi said, stressing that the centre is continuing to make this vision a reality with the full support of the community and organisations which gave the students an opportunity to attend work training programmes.

She made a reference to Emirates Towers Hotel, DHL, Emirates Abela, Union Co-op, among others. She also announced that one of the centre's students had been employed by the 'The One' this year, adding that the the centre acts as a professional training centre for young graduates and interns from Zayed University, American University in Dubai, and Sharjah University, among others in the UAE and abroad.

Mrs Salehi spoke about the concert's theme which was 'Love and Care' and which students had been practising for over six months. "As human beings it is our responsibility and obligation to love and care unconditionally each and every one. We hope that the students' message will be received by everyone throughout the world.'